Eleven members of ABC's The Chaser have been
charged and granted bail following their arrest in Sydney
today.

Julian Morrow and Chas Licciardello, two of the stars of the
satirical show, were among those detained by police today, after
staging a fake motorcade through Sydney as part of an APEC week
stunt.

They were charged under new APEC laws with entering a restricted
area without justification.

The crew members were in a convoy of three cars and two
motorbikes, which was reportedly ushered through two checkpoints in
Sydney's APEC security zone.

The convoy was pulled over in Macquarie Street in a block
adjacent to the InterContinental Hotel where US President George
Bush is staying.

All 11 have been bailed to appear in the Downing Centre Local
Court on October 4.

NSW Police Minister David Campbell denied he was embarrassed by
the comedians' ability to penetrate APEC's restricted zone -
rather, he was pleased the "multi-layered'' security had
worked.

He said the prank was inappropriate and he "did not see the
funny side at all''.

The Chaser's production team had been specifically warned by
police to behave responsibly during the APEC security lockdown, he
said.

"[The police] said: 'We understand that parody and satire are
entertaining and fun, many people watch the program and enjoy it,
but please understand the seriousness of this matter and please
take caution as you go about making your program.'

"That seems to have been thrown out the window and that, I
think, is inappropriate."

Their motorcade, branded with the Canadian flag, is
understood to have passed through at least one police checkpoint in
the declared zone.

The vehicle was pulled over near the corner of Bridge and
Macquarie streets.

A police statement said the show's producers were earlier this
week urged to consider the ramification of stunts during APEC.

No charges were brought when the team dressed up as a police
horse yesterday.

Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said that the
fact the Chaser team was arrested showed the security system
worked.

But he told an APEC news conference: "Whatever you think of the
humour of the Chaser ... they were clearly not going to harm
anybody in a physical way.

"They presumably were, as is the nature of their show, aiming to
humiliate a lot of well-known people."

Chaser team member Chris Taylor told smh.com.au that the
motorcade comprised "three cars, a couple of motorbikes, and a
lot of crew".

"It was a motorcade trying to get into the exclusion zone," he
said.

"No particular reason we chose Canada," said Taylor. "We just
thought they'd be a country who the cops wouldn't scrutinise too
closely, and who feasibly would only have three cars in their
motorcade - as opposed to the 20 or so gas guzzlers that Bush has
brought with him."

The vehicles in the motorcade were hired - two were black SUVs
imported from the US, and the other was a regular car.

Police superintendent Ken McKay confirmed the arrests had been
made using new powers available under the APEC Act.